Here Comes Summer
by rxcknrollrebel
Summary: What happens when you mix summer, the a legendary Woodsman, a haunted camp, and the Scooby gang together? A mystery on your hands, that's what! Andy Grey joins her best friend Fred Jones and the Scooby gang on a camping adventure that becomes yet another mystery for the gang. Campfire tales coming to life, goofy mishaps, are sure to make you laugh in this wild summer fic.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Well, who doesn't love Scooby Doo? I know I do. (Hey- that rhymed!) So here I am, as usual, writing yet another fanfic. Shocker, right?**

 **To clear up any confusion, this will be an OFC/OC insert to Scooby Doo: Camp Scare.**

 **I would like some feedback. Constructive criticism is welcome; flames are not.**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Scooby Doo. I only own my character, Andrea "Andy" Grey (who would be voiced by Mila Kunis) and any other OC's that may show their faces throughout the story.**

Chapter One

"Here ya go, Scoob. 18 inches of hoagie heaven!"

"Oo, yum." A chunk of meat flew in my direction and landed on my shoulder, and I removed my headphones in annoyance and turned around, glaring at Scooby and Shaggy, who were sitting on the back of the Mystery Machine, snacking as usual; this time on a large sandwich.

They were too engaged in eating to notice I was glaring. "Now, this is what I call camping," Shaggy declared, holding up his sandwich. "Good friends. Good food." He looked at Scooby and grinned. "And most importantly, no monsters!"

Scooby nodded. "No monsters!" he agreed wholeheartedly, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Guuuys...," I said flatly, my hands on my hips.

Shaggy looked up as if he just now noticed I was there. "Sorry, Andy."

"Rah," Scooby chimed in. "Rorry."

I removed the chunk of meat off my shoulder and handed it to Scooby. He happily devoured it within seconds, doggy slobber flying. "Gross, Scoob," I remarked, smirking to myself. "It's hard to stay mad at you, you know that?"

Suddenly, Scooby's eyes widened. "Monster!" he exclaimed, jumping into Shaggy's arms.

"Monster!" The duo dove under the nearby bushes, shivering in fright.

I turned around to see what they saw. Daphne hobbled out from behind one of the oak trees, clad in a brightly colored, plush vest and high heels.

"Sorry," she apologized meekly when she noticed Scooby and Shaggy cowering on the ground. "I was just checking out this mosquito-proof vest." She spun around in a clockwise circle, as if she were on a runway, hands on her hips. "Maybe I should try a small."

I rolled my eyes, and Daphne chided, "You guys, quit messing around. We're here to pick up supplies. You know how excited Fred is about taking us to his camp."

"It's not like it's the only thing he's talked about all week," I scoffed, sitting on the edge of the Mystery Machine and scrolled through my iPod playlist and finally deciding on a Van Halen song.

Fred emerged from the gas station door hefting an armful of plastic grocery bags. "I am so excited to take you guys to my old summer camp!"

I linked my fingers into my jeans' loops and smirked. "No, really?"

Shaggy cocked his head to one side. "Like, you don't say."

"You guys," Fred told us as he shoved grocery bags into the trunk, "are gonna love being counselors at Camp Little Moose. Did I ever tell you about the time Davey Reynolds and I tried canoeing Schmidt's Creek without a paddle?"

"Yes," we all chorused in unison, groaning.

Fred either failed to hear or chose to ignore it. "There we were; ten years old and not a paddle between us…" he babbled on as he shut the van's trunk. Everyone had stopped listening by then.

An older man with greying hair stepped out of the gas station and walked to the side of the van, smiling at us warmly. "Sure do appreciate your business, kids," he told us, but then his smile faded. "Say, if you're heading up to Little Moose Lake, you'd best get a move on. Those mountain roads can get mighty tricky come nightfall."

"Will do, sir." I lifted a friendly hand and opened the passenger door, plopping down in the front seat, turning to the backseat and subsequently realizing that it was empty. "Hey, where's Scooby and Shaggy?"

"Look out!"

My question was answered when the duo in question came crashing through the sun roof, landing not-so-gracefully on the backseat; the two tangled like a pretzel.

"Scooby, are you okay?" Velma asked tentatively, peeking through the open window.

A slurping noise emitted from the backseat, followed by Scooby laughing.

"Don't worry about him," Shaggy reassured Velma nonchalantly. "He landed on a cushion of freeze-dried ice cream!"

Scooby's head popped up from among the grocery bags. "Mm, rocky road," he hummed, licking his lips.

Fred climbed into the front seat next to me and closed the door before rolling down the window. He squinted at the big sign hovering over the gas station roof. "What's that?" He gestured to the sign and looked at the old man.

"Oh, just a little hobby of mine," the man replied lightly, shrugging. "There's a lot of history in this area. Myths...legends. Maybe even a few ghost stories." He winked at Shaggy and Scooby, who looked uneasy. "You wanna hear one?"

"Nope," Shaggy said quickly, at the same time Scooby said, "I'm good."

The man chuckled, stepping back as Fred stuck the key into ignition and revved the engine.

"Thank you very much for your service, sir," I called, and Fred rolled the window and shut the sun roof before peeling out of the parking lot. The old man waved at us until we were out of sight. I inserted a Boston cassette tape into the player as Fred pulled onto the main road.

Velma studied her GPS. "According to my GPS," she said from the backseat, "we should be able to see the camp right now." Fred turned the van up a dusty hill, which overlooked a crystal-clear blue lake shrouded by wood and lush, green shrubbery.

Fred pointed at the windshield. "Hey, gang, check it out!"

Daphne leaned over the front seat to get a better view. "Wow, that's beautiful," she breathed, shielding her eyes from the sun with her palm.

"Maybe this won't suck as much as I thought it would," I agreed, picking flakes of black nailpolish off my nails.

"To be honest, Fred," Velma admitted, gazing in amazement out her window, "I wasn't too excited about roughing it. But I think I'm going to like Camp Little Moose."

"Oh, that's not Camp Little Moose," Fred replied as we rounded another corner.

Velma's face crumpled in a mixture of confusion and disappointment. "It's not?"

Fred stuck his nose up. "That's Camp Big Moose," he corrected disdainfully. "That's Camp Little Moose."

I squinted and leaned forward. Ahead of us was a shabby, old log cabin with dusty, cracked windows and vines snaking down the walls. A mucky swamp lie next to the cabin.

"Oh, they've really fixed the place up," Fred remarked, and I raised my eyebrows at him quizzically. Fred slammed on the brakes suddenly, sending me flying forward and causing the seatbelt to lock in its place.

"You've gotta be kidding me," I muttered under my breath, unbuckling and leaning closer to the windshield.

Fred seemed oblivious to our disappointment. "I've spent a zillion summers here as a camper," he said excitedly, grinning widely, "but now I'm finally gonna be a counselor! It's my chance to pass all our camp traditions to a new generation of Little Moose."

"This place is a dump," Velma grumbled, ignoring Fred's rambling.

"It's...rustic," Daphne commented tentatively, looking around. Her outfit- a purple blouse, matching skirt, and high heels were definitely not suit for camping. I'd worn a black sweatshirt and jeans- a comfy outfit for the long road trip. I was too lazy to pack anything fancy. But from the looks of it, this place was the polar opposite of "fancy."

"Man, I don't care what it looks like," Shaggy murmured from the backseat, "as long as it isn't haunted…"

A wide-eyed, disheveled man suddenly came tearing down the driveway at breakneck speed, waving his arms frantically and yelling, "Stop! Turn back! This place is haunted!"

I looked at Fred, my eyes widened. "Did he just say what I think he said?"

Fred rolled down the window and leaned over. "Hey, what seems to be the problem?"

"He's real! Get out of here while you still can!" the man screamed, taking off running again. We stared in stunned silence at the empty place where the panicked man once stood.

"That was bizarre…" I remarked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"What was that all about?" Velma vocalized our thoughts.

"Beats me," Fred murmured, opening the door, "but we're going to find out."

"What part of 'Get out, save yourselves' didn't you understand?" Shaggy exclaimed incredulously. "How about this one time we listen to the wild-eyed lunatic?"

"I hate to say this, but I agree with Shaggy," I said, raising my hand.

Fred ignored us. "Come on, you guys," he said warily, stepping out of the van. "This is not a Little Moose welcome."

I looked at Velma and shrugged, following Fred.

Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby followed suit.

The whole area was closed off and vacant; the atmosphere unnerving and eerie. Besides a young, handsome police man and a German shepherd police dog, the camp was practically abandoned.

"Where is everybody?" Fred looked around in wonder.

"I don't know," I said quietly, "but something about this whole thing gives me a bad feeling."

In the driveway, a police officer stood next to a white police cr interviewing a man dressed in a beige Camp Little Moose uniform.

"...just a campfire story, but he was here. Madder than a bear with a bee sting. He was laughing when he threw his ax at me."

The police officer nodded. "I think it'd be a good idea to cancel the second session of camp," he said as he jotted something down on his little white notepad.

"Way ahead of you, Ranger Knudson," the Camp Little Moose man assured him. "I've already notified all the parents. Camp Little Moose is closed for the summer."

"What?" Fred was aghast. "You can't cancel camp!"

The Camp Little Moose man turned at the sound of Fred's voice. "Why, I'd know that ascot anywhere," he grinned, folding his arms over his chest. "Freddy Jones! Get over here and give me a Little Moose welcome."

Fred obliged, and the two motioned while chanting, "High in the mountains-"

"Deep in the spruce-"

"On the shore of the lake-"

"It's Camp Little Moose!"

"Little Moose, Little Moose...Little Moose!"

They both laughed and bro-hugged.

"Oh, man," Fred chuckled.

I looked at Velma. "What the heck was that?" I laughed. "It looked like some sort of weird tribal ritual."

Velma and Daphne stifled laughter.

The man inhaled, grinning. "Ah; the Little Moose welcome always warms my heart."

Fred's expression turned serious. "What's this about canceling camp? And what happened to the boathouse?"

The man frowned. "I don't mean to scare you kids," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "but we're having a little trouble with an ax-wielding maniac." His gaze grew dark. "It was the Woodsman."

"Oh, no, not the Woodsman!" Shaggy cowered and glanced around in fright.

"Who's the Woodsman?" Velma prodded, ever curious.

"Like, I don't know, and I don't wanna find out." Shaggy shook his head jerkily.

"The Woodsman?" Fred echoed dubiously, narrowing his eyes. "Oh, come on, Burt. You don't believe that old campfire story…"

"Naw, Fred, I saw him with my own eyes," Burt insisted, quite seriously.

"Ha," Fred scoffed, unconvinced. "It was probably just a prank by those snobs at Big Moose."

"I've heard of camp rivalries," Velma mused to herself, "but this is a little extreme."

The police officer winked at her. "You hit the nail right on the head, beautiful," he purred in agreement.

Daphne tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, I didn't say anything."

The police officer tilted his head to one side and smirked. "Well, I wasn't talking to you."

I coughed to stifle a snicker, while Daphne glared at me.

Velma gawked at the police officer, blushing furiously. "Me?" she said incredulously, pointing to herself.

The police officer scanned all of us with his eyes. "Well, it's best if you folks head on home," he advised us. "Let the professionals handle this." He turned one heel curtly and headed to his car. I could have sworn he winked at Daphne, Velma and I as he climbed into the front seat.

"Did he just wink at us?" I stared after him as he drove off, leaving dust billowing in his wake.

Daphne nudged Velma with her hip. "Somebody likes you!" she hissed with an amused grin.

"Shut up," Velma replied, still blushing like a schoolgirl.

"But I was gonna be a counselor, a mentor, a hero." Fred slouched in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Fred," Burt said empathetically, resting a gentle hand on Fred's shoulder, "but I had no choice. No campers means no camp."

Vehicle wheels skidding across dirt caused all heads to jerk in the direction of the sound. A dusty yellow school bus came to a halt in the middle of the driveway, the doors opening. Three young kids wearing backpacks and gear hopped off the steps, all lining up patiently and staring up at Burt expectantly.

"Where is everybody?" a chubby kid said, looking around.

"Camp's canceled," Burt told them gruffly. "Didn't you get the message?"

A girl wearing a purple hoodie that covered her head snapped on her gum. "What message?" she asked flatly, blowing a bubble.

"One that said 'Welcome to Camp Little Moose!'" Fred stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm Fred. I'll be your counselor, mentor, hero."

The chubby kid and the hoodie girl stared at him unresponsively, both looking bored.

A blonde kid stepped forward and shook hands with Fred. "Nice to meet you, Fred," he greeted cheerfully. "I'm Luke."

"Trudy," the hoodie girl said flatly, popping her gum bubble.

"Deacon." The chubby kid breathed in and out into a brown paper bag.

I noticed Trudy was staring at me. "Hi, I'm Andy," I said, smiling warmly at her. "Fred's best friend. He's told me a lot about this camp."

She just stared at me, blinking, and then turned away, bending down to retrieve something from her backpack.

Burt pulled Fred aside. "I don't know if this is such a good idea, Fred," he said in a low voice, glancing over at the kids. "Maybe we should just put those kids back on the bus." The kids were already way ahead of him, each running to the cabins. "Hey, hey, hey- Where are you going? You get back here!" He ran after the kids, yelling at them to stop.

"I don't know...I think I'm with Burt on this one, Freddie," I said in a low voice. "If there really is an ax-wielding maniac, I don't want to stick around to find out."

"It's just an old campfire story," Fred replied nonchalantly, waving a hand dismissively. "Besides, if he does turn out to be real, do you think he'd show his face in broad daylight? With other eye-witnesses?"

I frowned. "You have a point," I said apprehensively, biting my lip. "But-"

"So, what'll it be first?" Luke stood in front of us, holding his backpack by the strap. "Horseback riding?"

"Zip line!" Fred and Luke high-fived.

"Sounds awesome!" Luke grinned and ran toward the woods.

"Sounds awful," Trudy muttered, holding her cell phone in one hand.

"I feel like Fred's forgetting something," Velma remarked, rubbing her chin with her thumb.

"Like the fact that we have a mystery on our hands?" Daphne suggested, scowling at the piece of mud stuck to her one of her high heels.

"That's it." Velma nodded, watching Trudy as she begrudgingly followed the boys into the woods.

Out of the three kids that had arrived at camp, Luke seemed to be the only one that shared Fred's enthusiasm. Deacon was anxiety-ridden, and Trudy was apathetic, lingering in the background in an attempt to avoid camp activities. I noticed she sat alone on the sidelines a lot.

While Fred gave instructions about the zipline to Luke, Trudy sat on one of the tree branches, holding her cell phone in the air.

"Keep going, Trudy!" Daphne yelled her encouragement. "You're going to love the zipline!"

Trudy tilted her head to one side. "What's a zipline?" she scoffed, glancing down at her phone. "I'm just trying to get cell phone reception."

Just as night began to fall, we led the kids to the yard, gathering a bundle of sticks and matches.

Fred crouched on the ground next to the bundle of sticks. "I don't mean to brag, but I was Little Moose Fire Starting Champion six years running. And with a little practice, you, too, can master this skill."

"Fire Starting Champion?" I smirked. "That was a thing?"

"Check it out!" Luke pointed to the sticks. He'd set the sticks aflame, and a small fire was already crackling, greyish-black smoke billowing into the night sky.

"All right, Luke!" Fred high-fived Luke. "Good work."

As I carried over another armful of sticks, I tripped, nearly falling into a large print on the ground.

After I regained my footing, I called, "Hey Fred. Come look at this."

He walked over, Luke following him.

I stepped back so they could see the print. "Look what I almost fell into."

"Klutz," Fred coughed, and I stamped on his foot.

He winced, then knelt down and placed his hand on the print. "These are moose tracks."

"Are you sure?" Luke squinted at the ground.

"I'm a camp counselor." Fred looked miffed. "Of course I'm sure. Those are moose tracks."

I knelt down beside him and looked closer at the print. "You keep telling yourself that, Freddie."

Freddie held up a hand. "Shh," he hissed, pointing at the bushes. "I think the moose is on the other side of these bushes."

The bushes rustled, and Scooby emerged with leaves and burrs stuck in his fur.

I burst out laughing, and Velma commented, "That moose looks awfully familiar."

"There's your moose, Steve Irwin." I nudged Fred, who muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

We stood, and I brushed dirt off of my jeans.

"Okay, kids, back to camp," Fred called. "It's arts and crafts time!"

Everyone groaned in annoyance.

It was going to be an interesting summer, for sure.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Kudos to the lovely reader who favorited/followed! All I need's a little feedback now to give me a boost.**

Chapter Two

I was snapped out of a deep sleep by the sound of a familiar voice booming through the window. I shot up in bed, momentarily panicked, thinking I'd died or something. Then, I caught a glimpse of the cabin ceiling, and yesterday's events came flooding back.

"Good morning, Camp Little Moose!" Fred's voice was enhanced by a speaker. "This is your favorite camp counselor and mentor inviting you to rise and shine. It's a balmy 67 degrees with winds coming out of the northwest at eight miles per hour. We're expecting a high today in the upper eighties…"

I opened the door and stepped out, rubbing my sleep-crusted eyes and shielding them from the blinding morning sun with the palm of my hand.

"...so don't forget your sunscreen, SPF 45 recommended..."

Trudy, Deacon, and Luke stood gathered in the center of the yard next to Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby, who were equally annoyed at the sleep disruption.

Trudy glowered. "Is this guy for real?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Velma smiled at her sympathetically. "I'm afraid so."

"...because today is Water Fun Day!"

I was so going to kill him for this later.

"So, let's meet down by the dock ASAP. Okay, Little Moosers?"

We begrudgingly obliged and met up with Fred, who was already clad in a swimsuit and gear, grinning and appearing way too cheerful for seven A.M. "Hey, campers," he greeted. "Who's ready to have fun?"

"Like, an extra hour of sleep sounds fun to us," Shaggy muttered, his eyes slowly closing, and Scooby nudged him, snapping him back to attention. "I'm up, I'm up!"

I came up behind Fred and slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!" He rubbed the back of his neck and stared at me with innocent puppy dog eyes.

I punched my other palm with my fisted hand. "That was for disturbing my beauty sleep."

Fred winced. "Okay, gang," he began meekly, still caught off guard, "here's the plan: an hour of canoeing, two hours of fishing, followed by an hour and a half of swimming."

Luke's eyes drifted to the murky, green water under the dock. "In _there_?" he asked apprehensively, scowling at the moss littering the water's surface.

"Yup." Fred didn't look the least bit bothered.

Luke perked up. "Hey, why don't we go up to Big Moose Lake?" he suggested, jerking a thumb in the direction of Camp Big Moose. "That lake is sweet."

"Oh, no." Fred shook his head slowly. "Not Big Moose Lake. We can't go up there."

Luke arched an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Fred turned serious. "Because," he said cryptically, pausing to allow the suspense to build up, "Big Moose Lake is _haunted_."

"I'm out!" Shaggy tried to take off running, but I picked him up by the back of his swimsuit and lowered him to the ground, glaring at him.

"Wait a minute," Velma interjected skeptically, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "How can a lake be haunted?"

Fred didn't waver as he continued somberly, "Many years ago, there was a camper named Neil Fisher." I glanced at Velma, who still appeared just as skeptical, but listened with more interest now. "The other kids picked on him all the time, so he spent most of his days swimming in Big Moose Lake. In fact, he spent so much time in the water, he grew fins and gills. He became the Fishman." Fred's solemn gaze scanned us all, eventually landing on Shaggy and Scooby, who were now whimpering. "And he haunts Big Moose Lake to this day."

I burst out laughing, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen among us. "Really, Freddie? That's the worst ruse I've ever heard."

Luke glanced at me, then at Velma warily. "Is that true?"

"Of course not." Velma frowned at Fred. "He just doesn't want us to go to Big Moose Lake."

Fred sighed. "Guys, we've got a perfectly good lake right here," he protested, gesturing to the said lake.

But the others were already beginning to leave, clearly opposing Fred's argument.

"We're going to Big Moose."

"We're going to Big Moose."

Fred looked at me for help, but I shook my head. "What they said," I told him, following the rest of the gang.

"Andy!" he called after me pleadingly. "You guys, wait up!" I turned around, waved at him, and continued walking.

He sighed again, looking chastened, and followed after us toward Big Moose Lake.

Fred leaned over the edge of the boat, fishing rod in hand. "Luke, the secret to catching fish is all about-"

Luke's rod twitched, and he yanked it out of the water. "I got one!" He proudly displayed the bass he'd caught in the air.

"Show me some skin." I held out my palm, and we high-fived, Luke grinning triumphantly. The kid's enthusiasm was contagious. The mood had lifted somewhat as we slowly but surely began to wake up and tune into the world again. The only one who seemed to be immune to Luke's positive attitude was Trudy.

Our boat suddenly rocked back and forth, nearly sending slamming us against the sides.

Fred sat up, rubbing his head. "Hey, slow it down!" he yelled, but his voice was drowned out by the din of what I assumed to be a Camp Big Moose speedboat.

"Whoa," Luke breathed, standing and leaning over the boat's side to get a closer look. "Sweet!"

"Not 'sweet'," Fred muttered, his expression darkening. "I can't stand those snobs from Big Moose, with their fancy speedboats and air-conditioned cabins and-"

I clapped my hands on both shoulders and turned him so he faced me. "Fred," I said firmly. "Breathe."

Fred nodded, his attention snapping back to the victim of his rant. "And hot counselors," he breathed, his eyes widening.

I retaliated my own gaze to where he was staring.

A brunette wearing a purple bikini stood in the speedboat, the wind toying with her mousy locks. "Sorry about that," she chirped, flashing a white-toothed (almost too white) smile, showing off perfect, I-had-braces-in-middle-school teeth.

Fred's face was bright red. "Oh, our fault," he stammered, scratching his neck sheepishly. "Totally our fault. No problem at all."

The brunette grinned at us and waved, the speedboat taking off and disappearing into the heat waves dancing over the water. Fred was still staring at the empty space where she once stood, his cheeks still flaming.

"Freddie, you're blushing," I teased, and he snapped out of it, embarrassment now replacing his daze. I glanced around, realizing that Fred, Luke, and I were the only ones on the lake. "Hey, where is everyone?" That same eerie atmosphere from when we arrived yesterday began to set back in. It was kind of spooky to be on a lake by yourselves, even in broad daylight. It might have been the ominous feeling of being out in the open, the vast emptiness of it all leaving you feeling vulnerable and helpless.

"Maybe they moved onto the next activity without us." Fred reached for the paddle, grunting from the effort, and began to paddle in the direction of the shore.

The sun was just beginning to tip to the middle of the sky when we finally made it back to shore. I stepped out of the boat and helped Fred pass out towels, drying my hair off and wrapping my towel around my waist.

Luke, Fred, and I trekked back toward the cabins, where the others, stood in their own towels, appearing disheveled and taken aback. Not to mention there was yet another police car parked next to them.

"Hey, guys," Fred said, although his greeting emitted concerned. "How was the canoeing?"

Burt was gesturing wildly as he reported the newest incident to the same handsome police man that had called Velma beautiful yesterday. "...Then, I saw 'em coming down that hill-" he gestured to the grassy hill angular to the cabins- "faster than a pack of buzzards on a bobsled."

"What's going on?" I asked as we came to the group's side.

Shaggy gazed over at me with wide, terrified eyes. "Like, we almost became Fishman food!" he reported, as if that cleared up everything.

"Come on, Shaggy." I sighed. "There's no 'Fishman.' Fred just made that up so we wouldn't go to Big Moose Lake."

Surprisingly, the police officer was nodding as if what Shaggy was saying was serious. "Can you describe this 'Fishman'?"

"Fins," Shaggy stated matter-of-factly, as Scooby mimed fins. "Huge teeth to about yay high." As Shaggy completed the latter sentence, Scooby spread his lips apart and gestured to his teeth.

"That's Neil Fisher to a T." The police officer sighed and pocketed his notepad. "First the Woodsman," he mused, more to himself than to us, "now the Fishman. All of Little Moose's campfire legends are coming to life." He took off his hat and studied the brim. "There really is no other explanation."

"How about, someone is using those monsters to scare us away?" Velma suggested bluntly, ever the realist.

The policeman flashed a toothy grin at her. "Why don't you just stick to bein' pretty?"

Velma was stunned. "Did he just say what I think he said?" she whispered to Daphne.

"Yeah." Daphne nodded, smiling giddly. "He thinks you're pretty!" she gushed.

I felt like I was in a real-life version of Mean Girls.

"Like, Scoob says he saw a building under the water," Shaggy added after recapping the experience to Fred and I.

"Underwater building." The police officer nodded and put his hat back on. "I'll put it in my report. If there really are monsters loose," he said as he tucked his pencil behind his ear, "you kids better head back to town. This camp is just too dangerous."

"Like, you heard the man." Shaggy started toward the van. "We're outta here, Scoob! Let's bounce."

"I'm with Shaggy and Scooby on this one," I agreed wholeheartedly. "I'd rather not spend my summer in the backwoods, anyway. I've seen _Deliverance_."

Fred's answer startled us. "We're not going anywhere."

"We're not?" Shaggy was incredulous.

"If someone's trying to scare us away, we need to find out why," Fred stated determinedly. "The next time they come into our camp, we're gonna be ready."

I knew Fred wasn't going to budge, but I didn't like this at all. The first time a campfire story came alive was one enough for me. I didn't want to stick around to experience another.

Next time, we might not be as ready as Fred claimed we would be.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I would like to know how my story is. So, you know what that means: review, pretty please? I'll give you a Scooby Snack if you do!**

Chapter Three

"Tell me again why we're standing in the woods at midnight?"

"We're finding out who the culprit behind all this is, remember?" Fred lowered his voice to a whisper. "Besides, you said you'd be in on it, too."

"Yeah, yeah." I rubbed my eyes, which were beginning to blur from grogginess. "I'm just gonna complain about it the whole time, though."

"We can hear that," the whole gang chorused flatly, in unison.

Fred had awakened us all in the middle of the night, claiming it was the best time to unmask who was really behind all these camp antics. I'd rather find out what it looked like when my eyelids were closed.

The rope on the trap (don't even get me started on Fred's traps- he'd always been obsessed with traps; even though I always told him we could just catch the villains like normal people) jiggled, catching everyone's attention, followed by a loud thud: the sound of a body making contact with ground.

"We got him!" Fred claimed triumphantly as we ran over to the trap. "Now it's time to get some answers," he announced, kneeling down next to the trap. "Ladies and gentleman; say hello to the Woodsman!" He spread the bushes apart to reveal a mousy-haired girl clad in a purple shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.

I frowned. "Hey, you look familiar," I mused, looking the girl up and down.

"You're not the Woodsman." Realization dawned on Fred, memory hitting him like a truck, and an infatuated blush returned to his face. "You're that gorgeous counselor from Camp Big Moose!"

I rolled my eyes. "Give me a break," I muttered under my breath, extending my hand and helping the girl to her feet. If Fred wanted her to be his girlfriend, he wasn't off to a good start. "Sorry about that," I began to apologize awkwardly, not exactly sure what I was apologizing for, but still sincerely.

The brown-haired girl waved a dismissive hand. "Honest mistake," she replied cheerfully, as if that was that. "I'm Jessica." She flashed me a smile, and I found myself letting my guard down. Despite being from the "enemy" camp, she was nice enough.

"If you don't mind me asking, young lady," Burt, who'd reluctantly tagged along with us on our nighttime adventure, resisting at first when we requested, but then claiming he'd make sure nothing got out of hand, asked tentatively, "why are you sneaking around our camp after lights-out?"

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you guys," she said in a low voice, apprehensive, "but some of our camping equipment has gone missing." She paused, shrugging and looking slightly bashful. "And, well, I thought it might be you Little Moosers playing a prank."

 _What?_ I looked at Fred, and he appeared to be just as annoyed, if not even more so. "Little Moosers don't pull pranks," he stated matter-of-factly, folding his arms across his chest. "We leave _that_ to the snobs at Big Moose." I elbowed him in the ribs, and Jessica glared at him. "No offense," he added quickly, grimacing.

"Stolen camp gear?" Velma pondered aloud in dubious wonder. "Monster attacks? What is going on here?"

That was a good question that no one really seemed to have an answer to.

I felt hot breath on the top of my head. The hair on the back of my neck stood up on ends, and I didn't have to look behind me to know someone was hovering over me. And that someone was not friendly.

"Andy," Fred said in a low voice, his chest moving up and down with labored breathing, "whatever you do, do not turn around."

So, being the rebel that I am, instead of listening to his warning, I turned around. An axe-wielding shadow figure- not exactly decipherable to the naked eye, but tall and broad enough to indicate that the figure was male- stood over me, his red-eyed glare intense.

"Get out!" he bellowed, his voice raspy. As he spoke, the wind picked up faster and faster, until it howled through the leaves, creating an eerie, sense-of-impending-doom atmosphere. I found myself standing stock still, staring directly into the eyes of the figure. My heart rammed against my ribcage, and the adrenaline rush of fear shot through my body, but, for some reason, I couldn't get my legs to move, no matter how badly I wanted them to. I was going to die, right here in that camp.

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Naturally, Shaggy and Scooby took off running first, and, after I snapped back to reality, I followed the others.

I could still feel him chasing us even after we rounded a corner. Fred ducked into a nearby bush, and the rest of the gang followed suit.

Fred waited until his crunchy footsteps passed to whisper, "I think we lost him." He turned to me. "Are you okay?"

"No," I whispered back.

"Me neither," he replied, his eyes suspiciously scanning the area.

"So, what's the plan, Fred?" I asked, my voice strained. The only time I can recall being as scared as how I felt now was when I missed curfew and was getting an earful from my parents, the standard "I raised you better than this", chiming in with a few "I'm so disappointed in you's" and a couple "when I was your age's…" That had been relaxing compared to this situation. At least my parents weren't axe-wielding maniacs.

"We hide here until he goes away," Fred replied in a hushed voice.

"That's your plan?" Jessica scoffed. "That's so Little Moose."

Fred glared at her. "I suppose you have a better one?"

Jessica's eyes widened, and she gasped. "Yeah, run!"

"I told you to get out!" the same guttural voice that sounded like it came from the bottom of a well roared, and we ran. I had no clue where I was running to; just as long as I got away from whatever was aiming to kill us.

Suddenly, I realized that, in the midst of our panic, we'd completely lost Scooby and Shaggy. "Hey- where's Scooby and Shaggy?"

If they knew, no one had time to answer. The axe-wielding shadow was still after us; barely missing our heads by just inches.

We rounded another corner. I collided with something, and it was only when both of us hit the ground that I realized that what I had hit was a someone.

"Like, am I glad to see you," Shaggy grunted, standing and rubbing his head.

I hopped to my feet, still slightly taken aback. "You okay?"

"Like, ask me again when we're out of Camp Creepy," Shaggy replied dryly, glancing over his shoulder one last time.

Fred, Daphne, and Velma caught up with us, looking equally as disheveled.

I was the first to notice that Jessica was missing. "Hey, where's Jessica?"

"Come on." Fred turned to go, heading toward the mountain adjacent to the camp. "We have to save her!"

"Oh, no." Shaggy and Scooby shook their heads frantically in protest. "The Woodsman is up there!"

"No, he's not." Velma's declaration snapped all of us to attention. "He's gone."

She was right. The camp was practically vacant now; just as serene and eerie as before. The Woodsman had vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

"Oh, will you look at this place?" Bert grunted, his hands poised on his hips as he scanned his eyes at the torn-up camp. "Now, that just ain't right…"

The door to one of the cabins opened, and out stepped Deacon, Trudy, and Luke. "Hey, what's going on out here?" Luke inquired through a yawn, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, we're trying to sleep," Trudy muttered, her voice husky.

"Seriously?" Shaggy's jaw dropped. "Like, you kids slept through all that?" Trudy and Luke nodded. Shaggy grinned. "Heh. I'm impressed."

We decided to move to Camp Big Moose (begrudgingly, on Fred's side) for the night, or at least until we sorted out what was going on at Camp Little Moose. I couldn't say I was complaining- I could be anywhere but Camp Little Moose and be deliriously, deliriously happy, especially after last night's showdown.

"Like, this place has everything," Shaggy remarked as we walked down one of the long hallways inside Camp Big Moose's indoor resort.

"Personal transporters," Trudy commented, watching a boy ride past on a hoverboard. "Computers!" Her face lit up at the sight of a row of laptops on the wall. "And cute boys…" she added, her face turning dreamy as she gazed at a blonde-haired boy hovering over one of the computers. "We don't have cute boys at Camp Little Moose."

"Uh, hello?" Luke piped up, raking a hand through his hair and bumping up against her, which Trudy ignored.

"Why couldn't I have gone to this camp?" Trudy mused, more to herself than to us.

"About a week ago," Jessica, who had apparently returned to Camp Big Moose undetected and unscathed, told us, "we noticed that some of our sonar equipment had gone missing from the Marine Biology Center. A few days later, an RV disappeared from the Motorsports Pavillion."

"Now they're just showing off," Fred muttered under his breath, miffed.

"Most luxury RVs have GPS locators built in." Trudy opened a laptop, her fingers dancing across the keyboard furiously. "I'll ping the area to see if it's sending out a signal." She zoomed in, the radar dot blinking as it moved almost in slow motion across a green line on the screen. "In the middle of Shadow Canyon."

"Shadow Canyon?" Velma turned to the camp counselor, her interest piqued.

"They say that place is haunted by the ghost of a lost hiker still searching for her way out," the camp counselor continued, his expression and mannerisms darkening. "They call her the Specter of Shadow Canyon. Legend has it if you hear her terrifying wail, you're a goner."

"All we need is another ghost story…" I muttered warily, feeling the atmosphere in the room drop.

"Dude, I did not need to hear that," Shaggy agreed, as Scooby ducked behind him whimpering.

"The stolen RV is in Shadow Canyon," Trudy stated matter-of-factly, flicking her thumb at the computer screen, "the missing sonar equipment; that could only be used in the lake."

Fred sighed. "If we're gonna get to the bottom of this, we'd better split up and-"

"Look for clues?" I interjected.

"Exactly." Fred nodded in confirmation.

"Let me get this straight." Shaggy looked and sounded horrified. "There's a crazy man with an ax in the woods, a ghost in the canyon, a fish monster in the water, and you guys wanna split up and look for clues?"

"Yup," Fred said lightly, unbothered.

I smiled at Shaggy apologetically, a gesture that let him that our feelings were mutual.

"I'll take the lake," Velma stated. "I wanna check out that building Scooby saw. Who's with me?"

"I'll go," Jessica volunteered cheerfully, as if we were on a field trip. "I'm a certified scuba instructor."

"'I'm a certified scuba instructor'," Daphne mocked Jessica under her breath, and Velma and I giggled.

"What was that, Daph?" Fred asked, his gaze switching from Jessica to the girl in question.

"Huh?" Daphne glanced up, feigning innocence. "Oh! Nothing. I'll go with you," she said nonchalantly, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"As much as I love swimming," I added, turning to Fred, "I think I'll opt out of this one. I'd rather not be Fishman food if I can help it."

"Scuba diving?" Luke perked up like a dog who'd just been asked if he wanted to go for a walk. "Sweet! Count me in."

"Well, that settles it," I decided out loud. "The rest of us will head to Shadow Canyon."

"Oh, no." Shaggy shook his head, holding his palms up. "Like, you can forget it. Every time someone tells a campfire story, it comes true. Scooby-Doo and me are trying to live a Specter-free lifestyle here." Scooby nodded vigorously in agreement. "You can find us in that five-star dining hall when you get back."

"Maybe you should take Deacon with you," Daphne suggested warily, her eyes wandering to the said boy, who was breathing in and out, spastically, into a paper bag. "He seems a little freaked out."

Deacon wasn't the only one who was freaked out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The afternoon sun beamed down on us as we drove down the shadowy canyon on the outskirts of Camp Little/Big Moose. I wiped perspiration from my forehead and took a long, much-needed swig from my Dasani water bottle.

"I," I announced, leaning against the side of the Jeep, "am as dry as the Sahara desert."

"Good analogy," Velma remarked. "That makes two of us. Can I have a sip?"

I nodded and handed her my bottle.

Jessica looked down at the GPS in her hands. "We've lost the signal," she sighed, frustration lacing her voice. "Now what?"

"It must be the batteries," Velma said, handing the water bottle back to me.

"No." Jessica shook her head. "I just bought new batteries for the trip."

"Check it out," Trudy pointed out in a low voice, gesturing to the road. "Tire tracks."

We all peered closer, and sure enough, tire tracks marked stained the sides of the road.

"Good eye, Trudy," Velma praised in admiration, leaning over the side of the Jeep. "That's weird."

"What?" I squinted at the tire tracks, blinking from the sun.

Velma frowned. "The tire tracks just come to a stop." She was right- they stretched for about a mile, then faded and eventually vanished altogether at the foot of a dirt wall. "I hope Fred and Daphne are having better luck than we are."

"An entire RV just doesn't disappear," Jessica murmured, frowning at the wall.

I placed my hand on the wall, slapping my palm against the hot, dirt structure. A scuffling sound caused me to flinch away from the wall. Shaggy and Scooby emerged from behind the wall, appearing dazed.

"Oh man," Shaggy groaned, massaging his temples. "I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"Try an RV," Velma corrected, gesturing to the wall. "You guys found it."

We all looked at her in surprise. "Someone painted the RV to look exactly like the wall." She wasn't wrong- the outline of an RV was etched in the front of the wall.

"It was right in front of us the entire time," I mused, realization dawning on me, "and we didn't even know it."

"Come on," Velma said, climbing out of the Jeep. "Let's go check it out."

"Like, I would go with you," Shaggy said sheepishly, rubbing his eyes, "but I don't know which one to follow."

"Looks like someone's been staking out here for days," Velma remarked as we stepped inside the open door of the RV. The only light in the RV was the green, blinking dot on the dashboard.

"Yeah, smells like it, too," I mumbled, pinching my nose to avoid getting a whiff of the foul smell radiating from inside the RV.

Trudy trailed her fingers across the dashboard. "This must be sonar equipment that went missing from Camp Big Moose."

"What are they using it for?" Velma asked, looking over Trudy's shoulder.

Trudy attempted to power on the dashboard. "It's password protected."

"Well, that tears it," Shaggy said with finality. "Nothing we can do now."

"Let me take a shot at it." Jessica stepped between Trudy and Velma and began tapping at keys on the dashboard. "I'll use admin privileges to bypass the authentication requirement. Then you can modify the registry to a temp password."

"Good thinking," Velma agreed, stepping aside and allowing Jessica to take over. As pretentious as she may be, you had to hand it to her that Jessica definitely knew what she was doing.

Jessica tapped a few buttons, and, just seconds later, the grainy image of sonar data materialized on the screen. "This," she told us, jerking her thumb at the blinking green dot at the very center of the screen, "appears to be a sonar image of the bottom of the lake."

"What on earth are they looking for?" Velma pondered, her eyes inquisitive and owl-like behind her glasses.

The answer was a resounding silence from the rest of us.

We reunited with Fred and Daphne at Camp Little Moose, deciding that something about the atmosphere of the RV (and the canyon in general) felt uneasy; as if we weren't supposed to be there, and to report what we'd discovered Burt and the others.

"Any luck?" I asked Fred as the rest of the gang packed up equipment and chattered amongst themselves.

"Scooby was right," Fred replied incredulously. "There is an underwater city in the lake. We finally have a lead, but that just means more questions."

"What would a city be doing under Lake Big Moose?" I pondered, my head beginning to spin. "Was it just a prop? Another light-hearted prank aimed at unsuspecting new Big Moosers?"

"I'd better give him a lift back to Big Moose," Jessica said, interjecting Fred and I's conversation. "I have to get the Jeep back to Camp Big Moose anyway."

"It still feels like we're missing a piece of the puzzle," Fred sighed, his jaw tightening in blatant frustration.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," I reassured him softly, and he looked at me. "We'll figure it out. We always do. We've just gotta take it step by step. Besides, we can always do it together."

He relaxed a little. "You're right."

"Aren't I always?"

"Whatever."

"Burt, if you have anymore campfire stories," Shaggy spoke up, "I suggest you'd keep them to yourself."

"Scoob was right," Shaggy stated matter-of-factly. "There was an entire town on the bottom of the lake."

"I've heard of lakeside property, but that is ridiculous," Shaggy scoffed, shaking his head in awe.

"It explains why someone was searching the lake with sonar equipment," Velma suggested pensively, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"But what about the dynamite?" Fred added. "How does that fit into all this?"

I turned to Fred. "You didn't tell me about dynamite," I said, alarmed. "Fred, this is getting dangerous. Maybe we should call it off. Guys in costumes we can handle. But I'm not sure we can handle dynamite and campfire stories coming to life. It's just too dangerous."

Fred opened his mouth to protest, but Deacon interjected, "She's right. Are you guys really just gonna sit around and try to solve this mystery? Clearly, someone doesn't want us at Camp Little Moose. We should listen to them. I'm going to Big Moose, where it's safe." He glanced around at all of us, his gaze landing on Trudy and Luke, who wavered. "Who's with me?" That was the most I had ever heard him say- it was strange to hear him speak more than three to four words at a time. He just seemed like a shy, socially awkward kid. But the rare times he did have something to say, it was always thoughtful and meant a lot.

I turned to Trudy and Luke. "Maybe it is best if you go with Deacon," I told them softly. "Deacon's right. It's getting out of hand. This is up to the adults to fix now."

"Forget it." Luke shook his head doggedly. "I'm a Little Mooser. I wanna help you guys catch whoever's messing with our camp."

"Me, too," Trudy spoke up, her sudden loyalty and enthusiasm surprising us. She removed her hood, revealing a pale, heart-shaped face and pretty eyes behind glasses. It was the first time we'd gotten a full view of her face.

"Are you sure?" I stammered, taken aback by her sudden transformation.

"Yep." Trudy smiled a rare smile. "I wanna help solve the mystery."

"You're all nuts, you hear me? Nuts! I'm outta here." Deacon turned and ran in the direction of Camp Big Moose, still yelling about us being crazy.

Jessica turned to us. "I'd better give him a lift to Big Moose," she said apologetically, smiling. "I have to get the jeep back anyway." She started after Deacon, waving over her shoulder until she disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

"What you kids need," Burt chimed in, "is an expert in the field. I know just the person."

"Bless you," Fred said, and I sneezed again. "Bless you again."

"Thanks." I sniffed and turned to admire the row of taxidermy, including fish and deer, lining the ceiling and walls. "Whoa," I murmured, the animals' blank, glassy gazes making me suddenly uneasy. My mind immediately flickered to the scene in _Psycho_ of the room filled with taxidermy, and I shuddered. _Chill out. This isn't a horror movie._

"You okay?" Fred glanced at the taxidermy, then at me.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I'm fine."

"Yep, you kids have certainly come to the right place," the store owner, a middle-aged man, who had a slight Southern twang to his smoky voice worn thin from storytelling, and clad in a cowboy outfit, sighed as he sank down into the plush red chair in the middle of the room. "I know just about everything there is to know about this area."

"What can you tell us about the town at the bottom of Moose Lake?" Velma inquired, ever curious.

"Ah, you mean Moose Creek." The man nodded, his face serious. "It used to be an old mining town. But years ago, they moved everybody out of there, damned the creek, and created Big Moose Lake. Of course, that's only part of the story."

"Oh, boy," Shaggy murmured, very well sensing an impending ghost story.

"Moose Creek," the man continued, crossing one leg over the other, "was home to a notorious gangster named Ricky LaRue." At the mention of a gangster, we all leaned closer. "After pulling the biggest bank heist of his life, the cops were hot on Ricky's trail." He paused for effect, then lowered his voice as he went on, "So the legend goes, he stashed his loot somewhere in Moose Creek. They locked LaRue up and threw away the key. And not long after the dam was built, flooding the town of Moose Creek, LaRue's treasure was lost forever, somewhere at the bottom of Big Moose Lake."

Velma pulled out what looked like a history brochure from the rack on the other side of the room. "Do you mind if we borrow this?"

"Be my guest," the man said with a nonchalant shrug. "But if you kids happen to find LaRue's loot, don't be afraid to spend a little of that scratch over at Camp City, you hear?"

After thanking the store owner for his time, we got back into the van, and Fred pulled out of the dusty parking lot and onto the main road.

"Guys, listen to this," Velma spoke up from the backseat, the brochure crinkling in her hands. "Before LaRue died, he told his cellmate, BabyFace Boretti, the secret to finding his hidden gold:"-here, everyone except for Fred leaned over Velma's shoulder- "'When dawn breaks on the summer solstice, the steeple will point the way.'"

"The summer solstice?" I echoed, and Velma pointed out, "That's today. Or it will be, when the sun rises in a few hours.

"Get this," Velma continued, looking down at the brochure. "Two months ago, BabyFace Boretti escaped from jail."

"Like, one thing's for sure, man," Shaggy stated, pointing at the grainy black-and-white image of a chubby man with short stature on the brochure, "this guy's too short to be Woodsman or Fishman. He must have an accomplice. Or stilts."

"Shaggy's right," I agreed. "Which means, this just got a lot more complicated."

Fred's jaw tightened. "But why try to steer us away from Camp Little Moose?"

I frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Whoever's behind this whole thing has been doing everything in their power to leave Camp Little Moose," Fred explained, turning a corner. "It's got to be one person."

"Jinkies, there's Camp Big Moose Lake," Velma said, flicking her thumb at the picture of the said lake, which looked identical to the current Camp Big Moose Lake, on the brochure.

"That's the dam." I placed my index finger on the area.

"And below it, Camp Little Moose," Velma said with a sigh. "If someone wanted to get to the treasure, all they'd have to do is blow the dam."

"And if past patterns are showing anything," I said, realization dawning on me, "every legend about this town we've heard has come true. And the story that guy told us…" A mood of impending doom fell upon the van.

Fred's face fell. "Not Camp Little Moose," he groaned. "All of my beloved childhood memories will be underwater!"

"Not to mention Burt, Luke, and Trudy," Daphne pointed out.

"We've gotta get back to the camp before it's too late." I leaned toward Fred and placed my hand on the steering wheel in an attempt to steer him in the direction of the camp. "Hurry!"

Fred sped down the road, and the van came to a screeching halt at the perimeters of Camp Little Moose.

Or, what was left of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The whole gang climbed out of the van and ran toward Burt, Luke, and Trudy, who were standing in a semi-circle in the middle of Camp Little Moose, which was totally destroyed- by what looked like an axe-wielding maniac. The place was a mess; the cabins a wreck. The entire campsite looked like it had been through a cheese shredder. Trees were sawed through and toppled over, and the sign that read **CAMP LITTLE MOOSE** was destroyed; sliced down the middle.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, looking the campers up and down. They looked stunned but mainly unscathed.

"You're back," Trudy said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"That old boy chopped up my camp faster than a beaver with a buzzsaw," Burt grumbled, scowling and glaring at the mess.

"I'm sorry, Fred." Luke hung his head in shame. "If I was a real Little Mooser, I would have stopped him from destroying the camp."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, Luke," Fred said softly, and the said boy lifted his head. "Little Moose isn't about the cabins and the canoes and campfires. The true spirit of Little Moose is in here." Fred gestured to Luke's chest.

"And you've got it," I added, although I was feeling sullen myself.

Luke perked up. "I do?"

Fred grinned. "High in the mountains…"

"Deep in the spruce," I chimed in, humoring them.

"On the shore of a lake…" Luke finally said.

"It's Camp Little Moose!" Luke, Fred, and I chanted in unison, then laughed.

"Counselor, mentor, hero," Fred said dreamily, and I smirked at him.

"Guys, I just thought of something," Velma spoke up, breaking the lighter mood. "If the Woodsman didn't find Burt, Luke, or Trudy, then he thinks the camp is empty."

"So?" Daphne raised her eyebrows.

"If the camp is empty, then he thinks it's okay to…" Velma's eyes widened in alarm, panic registering on her face.

"Overflow the camp," I whispered, paling.

"Everybody, into the van," Fred instructed before anyone else could panic. "Buddy up and stick with your partner, in case we get separated," I said, my mind automatically flashing to worst case scenario. "Let's go." I led the kids into the van, opening the backdoors and helping them climb inside.

The rest of the adults followed suit, and Fred and I climbed in and squeezed in together between Shaggy and Velma.

The van pulled out of the driveway and back onto the main road.

Panic set in again. "Fred, if you're back here," I said tentatively, my voice quivering, "then who's driving?"

Fred peered over the front seat. "Scooby?!"

"Great," I groaned, covering my eyes. "My death will be caused by a dog driving a minivan. Rip."

"Like, Scoob," Shaggy cried incredulously, leaning over the driver's seat, "I didn't know you could drive."

"I can't!" Scooby looked just as horrified as the rest of the gang.

"Like, we're running out of dock!" Shaggy panicked, and I peered out the window. Sure enough, we were skidding closer and closer to the edge of the dock that led to the murky green lake.

"Scooby, hit the breaks!" I shrieked, and Scooby obeyed, slamming down so hard on the pedals that the van lurched forward, and my head slammed against the front seat. "Ow…" I rubbed my throbbing temples, where a dull sensation was already beginning to form.

Fred looked at me in concern. "Are you okay?"

I glared at him through my fingers. "We've been chased by an axe-wielding maniac, we were nearly driven into water by a dog, and our camp is about to be totally underwater," I snapped. "Do you _think_ I'm okay?"

Fred winced. "Just checking in...but good point."

"Scooby, that was amazing!" Daphne marveled in awe. "Did you plan that?"

"Nope." Scooby chuckled sheepishly, shrugging.

"Look," Velma pointed out, catching our attention, "Big Moose Lake is almost completely gone."

We all looked out the window. She was right. The once vibrant, crystal-clear lake was half-empty, and rooftops and buildings poked through the water's surface.

"Like, presto," Shaggy remarked dubiously. "Instant town- just subtract water."

"That means he's getting closer," I murmured as Fred's facial expression darkened.

"Come on," Fred said, opening the door. "Let's go check it out."

"This is so cool," I said as we trekked through the damp mud, wishing I'd brought my camera. As we walked closer, I could make out that the town was an old western town, complete with saloons and even an old jailhouse- like something out of _Gun-smoke_ or _Walker: Texas Ranger._ What was an old wild west town doing under water?

A squish sounded behind me, followed by Daphne grumbling to herself, "Well, these shoes are ruined."

Typical. I rolled my eyes. "Why didn't you bring hiking boots, then?" I didn't wait for her to reply and caught up with Fred, who was standing in front of a tall, honey-colored steeple. Golden sunlight reflected against the steeple, making its color glint even brighter.

"Wow," I whispered, blinking and shielding my eyes from the flaming sun. "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah," Fred agreed breathily, putting his arm around me. "Beautiful…" he murmured as he stared at me, and I at the steeple. Footsteps sounding behind us broke the stupor, and Fred stepped away. I tried to disguise my disappointment as I faced the others.

"Gang, look," Fred said as the others caught up. "The steeple."

"'As dawn breaks on the summer solstice'," Velma quoted, gazing up at the steeple, "'the steeple will point the way.'"

More footsteps sloshed, and Fred whispered, "Somebody's coming."

"Gotcha!" Jessica ran toward us, only to slam into Fred, knocking him onto the ground and pinning him down.

An awkward silence fell upon us, and Jessica blushed. "Uh, Fred? We've got to stop meeting like this." They were both blushing now, only Fred's more obvious.

"You can let go of her now." I was startled by the pang of annoyance- no, definitely not jealousy- that struck me.

Fred's blush deepened. "Oh, right," he chuckled, letting go of Jessica and allowing her to stand. She helped him up, and he brushed dust off of his jeans.

"What are you doing here, Jessica?" I was too tired to hide the annoyance in my voice.

Jessica shrugged. "After the dam blew," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I saw Deacon heading here, so I followed him."

I studied her intently. "Deacon?" Although Jessica didn't seem like much of an attention-seeker or liar, I couldn't help but wonder if that was only half of the truth. Part of me believed her, but part of me still wondered if she was just trying to get in on our investigations or pull another Camp Big Moose "prank." I couldn't picture Deacon venturing out by himself anywhere, let alone into Camp Little Moose.

Fred raised his eyebrows and frowned, sharing my reaction. "That kid's afraid of his own shadow. Why would he come down to Moose Creek?"

Scooby tugged on my shirt sleeve and whimpered.

"Not now, Scoob," I whispered, my attention still on Fred and Jessica.

"Guys, we're in here," Shaggy spoke up, and I turned around to see Shaggy and Scooby behind the bars of the old jailhouse. "We're locked in."

I frowned. "How did you guys get in there?" Knowing Shaggy and Scooby, they must have been fooling around and gotten themselves trapped. But the fact that Deacon was standing next to the jailhouse answered my question. "Deacon, what are you doing here?"

Deacon smirked. "The name ain't Deacon, toots," he jeered, stepping out of the shadows. "It's BabyFace Boretti." He was still wearing his "Deacon" outfit, but the timid, anxiety-ridden cub scout boy persona was clearly gone. As I studied his face closer, I realized that his chubby "babyface" and body shape were identical to that of the said villain.

"I had to admit," Shaggy remarked after a beat, "I did not see that coming."

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat," Deacon smirked as he turned to go, "but I got a date with treasure."

I started after Deacon, but a throaty growl stopped me in my tracks.

The Woodsman's shadow loomed ominously on the ground, menacing and threatening.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Although this is technically one of the last scenes of the movie, I will be continuing a different plot after the movie itself is supposed to end. I don't know how many chapters this story will have specifically, but it will definitely have a lot more.**

Chapter Six

The Woodsman plucked Jessica off the ground, dangling her in mid-air.

Jessica paled and began screaming, her face contorting with terror.

"Let her go, Woodsman!" Fred yelled, red-faced with anger.

"I told you to get out," the Woodsman hissed, tightening his grip on Jessica, "but you didn't listen. Now you're gonna pay!"

"Fred," I whispered, turning to him desperately. "I think we should listen to the ax-wielding maniac."

"Fred, look out!" a familiar voice warned, and I looked up to see Luke soaring in on a zipline, swiftly grabbing Jessica and landing lightly on the ground.

Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she managed, her face still pale.

"You okay?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"Ahem." Luke cleared his throat.

"Uh, good work, Luke," Fred praised awkwardly, his lovestruck gaze not leaving Jessica.

I resisted the urge to physically roll my eyes.

"Like, how long have we been in here?" Shaggy cried, shaking the jail cell bars. "Like, help. I'm too young! I'm going crazy! Someone, free us!"

My gaze shifted to the lock on the bars. I walked over and stuck my fingernail in the lock, turning it, and then retracting it. Seconds later, the bars slid open, and Shaggy and Scooby gratefully ran out.

"Like, how'd you do that?" Shaggy asked me in amazement.

I smirked. "Old habits die hard," I replied with a shrug.

"Jailbreak." Shaggy grinned. "Cool."

I turned to Fred. "Do you have a game plan?"

"Good question," Fred said, rubbing his head in blatant frustration. "We got the Woodsman, at least."

I looked at the empty space where the Woodsman once stood. "Where'd he go?"

"He's….gone," Velma murmured, and she was right.

He'd vanished just as quickly as he had appeared.

"The sun is coming up," I remarked as a pool of golden light formed on the ground, signaling morning.

"Look, the steeple is pointing the way," Velma pointed out.

The steeple lingered over us, engulfed in honey-colored sunlight. "The treasure must be right here."

"Allow me." A new voice spoke up, followed by a figure clad in a neon blue fish costume swooped in, diving toward the treasure, near where Scooby stood.

"Hey, fish face!" Shaggy stepped forward. "Like, stay away from my buddy."

"It's time to find out who this 'Fishman' really is," Fred said, removing the mask, only to reveal a Woodsman mask.

"The Woodsman?" My voice rang incredulously.

Fred removed the Woodsman mask. Ranger Knudsen stood, exposed, in front of us.

"Ranger Knudsen?" Velma vocalized our shock.

I blinked. "He was the Woodsman and the Fishman?"

"Yep," Velma replied matter-of-factly. "And I've got a feeling that if we searched his ranger station, we'd find a Specter mask, too."

Ranger Knudsen looked at Velma. "You think you've got me all figured out, don't you, beautiful?" He smirked.

I put my hands on my hips. "You think you're really something, huh?"

"Oh, honey, I know I'm something," Ranger Knudsen purred.

"I have never met someone as arrogant and full of it as you," I said in astonishment.

"Oh, I didn't say anything," Daphne chirped, and I rolled my eyes.

"I think he was talking to me," Velma interjected hesitantly.

Daphne blushed, taken aback. "Oh, right."

"Looks like we foiled his plan," Fred remarked disdainfully.

"Like, not his plan," Shaggy pointed out, gesturing to the pile of masks lying on the ground next to Ranger Knudsen. "Their plan."

If I'm ever asked what the weirdest summer of my life was, this would be it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Scooby tackled Ranger Knudsen to the ground. "I got him!" he exclaimed triumphantly, sitting up on Ranger Knudsen's chest and wagging his tail proudly.

I laughed. "Good boy," I praised, patting his head.

He beamed in triumph.

"Get this dog off of me!" Ranger Knudsen begged between heavy breaths.

"I can't believe Deacon was really 'BabyFaced Boretti'," Daphne said incredulously.

"After BabyFace broke out of prison," Velma started, adjusting her glasses on her nose, "he teamed up with Ranger Knudsen to find LaRue's treasure. Knudsen wore the 'Fishman' costume as cover, to search the lake for the lost town using the stolen sonar equipment. He used the Woodsman costume to scare everyone away from the camp."

"But with the solstice approaching and us showing up, they had to step up their game," I remarked, all of the pieces coming together.

"Exactly!" Velma nodded. "Boretti posed as a camper named 'Deacon'-" she mimicked quotation marks with her fingers- "acting as an inside man. That's why 'Deacon' kept trying to get us to leave. He wasn't afraid of the Woodsman. He needed us gone so he could blow the dam. But when we found that RV, they realized we were getting close.

"So Knudsen brought the Specter to life to try and scare us off for good."

"Like, I've got one question," Shaggy spoke up, raising his hand in the air. "How did Knudsen make the Specter fly?"

"Zip line," Velma stated simply, with some self-satisfaction.

"We would have gotten away with it, too," Knudsen muttered from underneath Scooby, "if it weren't for you meddling kids."

"Wow, real original." I rolled my eyes. "Never heard that one before. Scooby, I think you better get off him before you crush the man."

Scooby grinned sheepishly, jumping off of Knudsen's chest and walking over to Shaggy before plopping down on the ground next to the said man, his tail thumping wildly.

As Knudsen was taken away in handcuffs in a police car, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The mystery was finally solved.

We could finally have some fun.

"Geronimo!" I yelled before jumping off the dock and doing a belly flop into the lake, then swimming to the surface. The lake had started to clear up and was starting to look more like a lake instead of, well, a lagoon, so we took the opportunity to swim.

I swam over to Fred and splashed him in the face.

"You just asked for it!" He tackled me under water and began tickling me.

"Freddie, stop!" I pleaded through uncontrollable laughter. "Seriously, I'm gonna pee!"

"Hey, you guys," Velma said, sitting on the bank of the lake. She was wearing a faded orange one-piece bathing suit. Unlike Daphne, Velma never felt the need to wear glamorous clothing and shiny jewelry. Why Daphne bothered to wear bright and fancy clothing in the woods and to the lake never registered with me.

"Hi," I said, as I managed to pry Freddie's hands away from my sides. I regretted ever telling him my sensitive spot.

"Shaggy and Scooby are on their way with lunch," Velma told us, pushing her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. "I hope you're hungry."

"I am." I realized I'd gone all day without eating. You kind of lose track of time when you're on vacation. All the weeks seem to morph together into one big, long day.

"Room service," a familiar voice announced, and I looked up to see Shaggy carrying a platter of cheese, crackers, and fruit, with Scooby by his side, as usual.

Freddie and I scrambled to shore as Shaggy and Scooby sat down, passing out snacks.

We nibbled on the snacks in silence for a few minutes before Fred asked, "Hey, where's Daph?"

"I think," Velma said, tossing a few cracker crumbs at a small flock of finches hovering nearby, "she was at Big Moose Lake last time I heard from her. She and Jessica are hanging out today."

I rolled my eyes. "Typical," I muttered under my breath, helping myself to more cheese and crackers. Figures she'd ditch us for Big Moose Lake, with their hot boys and motorboats, not exactly in that order. I felt like I was in high school again.

Fred glanced over at me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." My voice sounded sharper, more defensive, than I intended. "It's just hot out here," I added, sneezing when the sunlight hit my eyes. Not exactly the truth, but not a complete lie, either. I watched the finches battle over the crumbs, chirping and flapping their little wings. Scooby stared down at the birds, and I knew he was resisting the urge to give into his canine instinct and chase them, but stayed put by Shaggy's side.

"So, what does everyone want to do today?" I finally broke the silence.

Luke and Trudy had opted to go to Big Moose Lake, too (but not for the reasons I suspected Daphne of), so the adults had Camp Little Moose to ourselves. It was kind of nice to not have plans for once- to take it easy and relax without frantically rushing through one activity to the other. Camp activities were fun, but it was nice to have a day off.

"Like, anything, as long as there's no more ghost stories," Shaggy said, eyes widened. "I can't handle anymore ghost stories, man."

I had to agree with him. I'd had my fair share of ghosts and ax-wielding

maniacs myself. Shoot me in the leg if I ever told another campfire story again in my life.

"All right, everyone," Fred announced, always the man with the plan, "all in favor of zip-lining, raise your hand. All in favor of swimming, raise your hand."

Both Velma's and my hand shot up almost immediately, as soon as he said "zip-lining."

Fred looked at Shaggy. "Shag and Scoob? What's your vote?"

"How about a nap?" Shaggy yawned, rubbing his eyes.

I laughed. "Fair enough," I said, getting to my feet and brushing crumbs off of my palms. "We'll split up and meet back here in an hour." It was almost 4 o'clock P.M., which meant dinner and quiet time in two hours.

We all went our separate ways, Shaggy and Scooby staying behind.

It was time for the fun to officially begin.


End file.
